The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday condemned Israel for not renewing the work permit of Omar Shaker the Israel and Palestine director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and forcing him to leave.
High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Marta Hurtado said at a UN briefing that Shaker was forced to leave on November 25 after Israel’s high court approved an Israeli government’s decision to not renew his visa.
“The high commissioner deeply regrets this decision which both the UN Human Rights Office and a group of three UN Special Rapporteurs had urged the government to reverse in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling” Hurtado said.
Hurtado said the expulsion of Shaker “casts a shadow” over Israel’s commitments to freedom of expression and freedom of association as well as over the ability of human rights defenders and organizations to carry out their “important work”.
The Israeli occupation authority has accused Shaker of supporting the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
